Tennis Canada Appoints Karen Shaver as the Director of Safe Sport

Federation reaffirms commitment to safeguarding with the creation of safe sport department and mandate

Tennis Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Karen Shaver as the Director of Safe Sport. Karen brings tremendous safeguarding expertise to the organization having spent the past 15 years with Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada leading safeguarding initiatives. She currently sits on the National Safety Council of Scouts Canada and as a Board member of the Lynwood Charlton Centre, which provides mental health services to children, youth and their families.

Shaver joins Tennis Canada on June 4, 2018 and will oversee the modernization and strengthening of safe sport policies across the federation, reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer, Michael Downey. As part of Tennis Canada’s safeguarding program, the federation will develop and promote online resources and toolkits promoting safe sport participation for recreational players of all ages, athletes, coaches, instructors, officials, volunteers and parents.

To further support Shaver in this new role, effective immediately, the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Tennis Canada will serve as oversight for Tennis Canada’s safe sport policies, plans and compliance.

Tennis Canada is also pleased to announce that in partnership with the Tennis Professionals Association of Canada (TPA), all TPA members will now require mandatory background checks. This 3,300-member organization already requires the annual signing of a professional coaching code of conduct and declaration of good character and provides access to on-line safe sport education tools.